Tail wagging the dog

“Sioux City avoids sanctions in adult business lawsuit,” reported here by CBS 2 News in Iowa. The judge’s ruling (which you can download here) deals with the city destroying records from closed meetings while defending itself in a lawsuit filed by Doctor John’s Lingerie Boutique.

In litigation, I frequently encounter local governments which do not archive their communications. It’s surprising, really. In the Information Age, saving and storing records (especially Electronically Stored Information) should be easy. So easy that many state governments, like Georgia’s, require it.